


nothing better than you

by forsekais



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Jongin is human, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Sehun is a baby vampire bad at feelings, Vampires, also excessive mentions of blood drinking, mentions of sehun/others
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:40:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forsekais/pseuds/forsekais
Summary: At 7 AM on Saturday, Jongin tells Sehun he wants to stop.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 21
Kudos: 877





	nothing better than you

**Author's Note:**

> an attempt at something new; a mess.

At 7 AM on Saturday, Jongin tells Sehun he wants to stop.

Sehun doesn't mean to keep track of time. The alarm clock is right in front of Jongin, glowing green numbers flashing seven zero one, then two, and Sehun keeps staring at those numbers until Jongin rolls over to face him, warm hand resting on his hip. Jongin is always warm.

"I mean," Jongin makes a vague gesture between their naked bodies, "this isn't even part of the deal."

Sehun glances down at the bruises on Jongin's inner thighs and winces. "Were I too rough?"

Jongin snorts, but doesn't move away when Sehun reaches out and presses his thumb against the upper red bruise, then slides it down to the next, and the next. "You're strong," Jongin says, amused. "But I kinda expected it. It's been a while."

_Since you got me underneath you_ is left unsaid, but Sehun can feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. There are days he wants to be fucked into oblivion, and there are days he needs to take, take, take until the person under him falls apart. In either situation, Jongin never says no to him.

Until now.

"Then why?" Sehun asks, voice hoarse from sleep. The brilliant rising sun is illuminating Jongin's honey eyes, his cheeks, the shape of his lips, his jaw, and Sehun holds in a breath because while Jongin looks striking in the darkness, he's even more mesmerizing in the early morning light. 

The grin on Jongin's face fades and Sehun swallows down the unsettling emotion rising in his throat. When Jongin doesn't respond, he presses, "Did you not like doing it rough? I can be gentle—"

"No," Jongin shakes his head, "that's not it."

"Is it the shaker chair? I hate it anyway, we can throw it away and get the super sturdy one that Junmyeon hyung has in his reading room—"

"Please don't throw it away. It's a gift from Kyungsoo, he'd kill you if anything happens to that chair," Jongin curls his hand around Sehun's wrist, looking at everywhere in the room but Sehun. "There's nothing wrong with the — positions — or you. Sehun Jr is a cool dude and I love our conversations," he huffs a laugh at his own innuendo. "But, I don't know, I just need more than...this."

"Like what, exactly?"

For what seems like an eternity, Jongin opens his mouth, closes it, averts his gaze from the wall filled with movie posters to the towel with dried red stains on the bedside cabinet. He blushes, and if it's any other time, Sehun would enjoy the sight, but now, he's busy fighting down the discomfort in his stomach.

"I met someone recently," Jongin mumbles, his eyes briefly flicking back to Sehun's face before drifting away. "And, uhm, he wants to get serious."

Sehun's eyebrows shoot to his hairline. "Is he really better than me?"

"What? No, we haven't had sex, so if you're asking whether he's better than you in bed, I don't know," Jongin answers honestly. "He's just — different."

Sehun rolls his eyes. _He_ is the epitome of difference. He's a vampire, for hell's sake. What kind of any other inferior difference could Jongin possibly be looking for?

As if he could read mind, Jongin shoots Sehun an unimpressed look. "Commitment, Sehun," he says. "He wants a relationship. It sounds, uhm, nice."

Sehun doesn't like the sound of it. _Relationship_. So weak, so feeble. He clears his throat. "Do _you_ want a relationship?"

"Not sure," Jongin licks his lips. "But I want to try."

Sehun finds nothing logical in Jongin's reasoning, but he stops himself from spilling it out because who is he to judge? He and Jongin are not exclusive. They are friends who fuck sometimes. A lot more than sometimes, actually, but it's only _a deal_ , in Jongin's words. Jongin is free to do whatever he likes, and it's not Sehun's place to question his decision. Sehun would have no problem finding a replacement to warm his bed. He's one of the most eligible bachelors in South Korea.

"But—" Sehun begins, sounding too desperate for his liking. He inhales deeply and tries to adjust his tone so it comes out as teasing. "Our main deal is still valid, right? You're not—"

"No, I'm not," Jongin reassures. He curls in close to Sehun. "The deal is always valid. You give me a call, and I'll come right away. Any time, okay, Sehunnie?"

"How about now?"

Jongin doesn't seem surprised. He shrugs and sits up from where he's nestling his head against Sehun's shoulder. Sehun's eyes follow the outline of Jongin's torso, golden skin and toned flesh, and can feel his sharp fangs cutting into his lower lip in anticipation. He leans forward, but one glance at the towel and he jerks back.

"It's okay," Jongin smiles, gently running a hand down Sehun's arm. "A bit of snacking won't hurt me."

The warmth radiating from Jongin is too much. Sehun catches Jongin's hand, then bites into his wrist and sucks. Drops of crimson slide thick down his throat, the taste on his tongue familiar and sweet. Jongin breathes out a soft whimper, letting Sehun drink his blood and stroke his back until his head gets dizzy.

Sehun licks the puncture wound clean, and when he retracts his fangs, his face glows with contentment. Jongin sinks back into the comforter with his eyes closed, waiting until the numbing pain in his wrist subsides. Silence stretches between them, one that's strangely uncertain, then Sehun crawls under the comforter and pulls Jongin flush against him.

Jongin is the first one to talk. "Sehun, about what I said—"

"All right."

Another suffocating silence that seems to grab Jongin by the throat. He goes very still, then he frowns, like there's something he wants to say, but he isn't sure whether he should say it. Sehun waits, but eventually Jongin repeats what Sehun said. "All right?"

"Yeah," Sehun says. "I hope everything turns out well for you."

Jongin keeps looking at him in what's supposed to be a meaningful way. But what else could it be? Jongin is the one who asks Sehun to stop. He would never do that if he expects an argument.

"Thanks," Jongin mumbles. Sehun can hear the finality in his quiet voice. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay," Sehun says. Jongin rolls to the side, his back facing Sehun and turns off the light switch.

Sehun has a hard time getting back to sleep, so he ends up staring at the ceiling until Junmyeon calls to ask about a pending contract. For the first time, he's glad to receive a work call on the weekend, since it helps distract him from the unusual hollowness that has taken residence in his chest.

\---

Sehun met Jongin through Kyungsoo.

He vividly remembered his first days after the Embrace. When Chanyeol, his best friend, asked him for a favor during a wild frat party, Sehun, high as a kite, had thought it had something to do with playing the wingman or more absurdly, hijacking a burger truck. He didn't expect Chanyeol to drag him into the basement and started _drinking_ his blood as if Sehun were a bottle of Chardonnay. Chanyeol, citing hunger as his excuse later, had brought Sehun to the edge of death before gifting him back a life for eternity and welcoming him to the club of the immortals, which, surprisingly, consisted of very familiar faces — Junmyeon from the Student Council, Kyungsoo from their Business class, Baekhyun, their chapter president. Sehun'd been hanging out with a group of blood-sucking creatures for two years and was completely oblivious about their true identities.

But the damage had been done, so freaking out was just a waste of time. _Not that I could actually waste time_ , Sehun'd hissed, _because I am going to live fo-fucking-rever_ , and Chanyeol, his goddamn sire, had grinned at him with something akin to pride and fondness in his red eyes.

The fangs were uncomfortable, but not unbearable. The drop in body temperature didn't affect Sehun much, for he'd always liked the cold. Hunting was not a challenge either — Sehun had quick reflexes and impeccable hand-eye coordination thanks to years of playing badminton with his brother. The real nightmare was the feeding. Sehun made it clear that he was not going to murder innocent people or turn them into his fledglings for the sake of food. Chanyeol and Baekhyun introduced him to processed blood and fresh animal blood from butcher shop, delivered to their door every morning like newspaper. Sehun drank it; he needed the energy to function, but the taste was gross and he'd found himself throwing up more than once. Soon he lost his appetite and when he collapsed in the middle of his Business class one day, Kyungsoo took pity on him.

"You need human blood. Maybe not on a daily basis, but at least you need to maintain the minimum intake," Kyungsoo told him. "For us vampires, human blood is the equivalence to whole food. It's a requirement for a healthy diet."

Sehun stared at him blankly because what did one say to that? Sehun'd grown up believing a healthy diet meant vegetables and fruits and not blood, since blood is terribly low in minerals and vitamins. Apparently it didn't apply to vampires, who consume blood to sustain their energy. It was pure bad luck that Sehun became like this.

"I'm not going to drink from a human," Sehun declared firmly.

"I know a guy," Kyungsoo said and Sehun rolled his eyes because every conversation he had with his squad that started with _I know a guy_ usually ended up a mess, like that time in freshman year Baekhyun set Chanyeol and Sehun up on a double date with the twin brothers from his Music Composition class and somehow it ended with the four of them under the sheets next to the twins' elder sister, and as if the situation wasn't tragic enough, they were caught by the siblings' father. It was horrible.

"A guy is the last thing I care about now," Sehun said dryly.

"He's immune to vampires," Kyungsoo interrupted. "He's a rare case, the only one in this country as far as I know. New fledglings seek for him during their transition and I think you could really benefit from that."

"But?"

"But," Kyungsoo sighed. "He's picky. He doesn't sell his blood, so it's up to him whether he wants to give or not. I fed from him a few times back when Baekhyun first bit me. If vampires had a Michelin guide the guy's blood would get 4 stars without a doubt."

"Well," Sehun said, out of curious more than anything, "then I'd like to meet him."

It was a cloudy day when Kyungsoo took Sehun to a coffee shop downtown. Sehun followed Kyungsoo as he headed straight to the employees area, pushing the door open and walking pass boxes and shelves until they reached a table in the corner, under which a blonde guy was sleeping, mouth open and looking attractively unattractive. No one should look that good when sleeping except Sehun, but this guy did it effortlessly.

"Jongin," Kyungsoo greeted him with a kick in the shin, "wake up."

Jongin blearily opened his eyes and Sehun was rendered speechless. Those eyes were bewitching, earthen brown in a way that reminded Sehun of old sepia photographs. Then Jongin gazed over and shot him a half-grin. "Hello new guy, you want a bite?"

"What?"

"My blood," Jongin said and tilted his head to the side, exposing his lean neck. Sehun felt his lungs rattle with the desire to feed, his legs shaking and his mind losing focus. It was fucking terrifying.

"Hey," Jongin clasped a hand around Sehun's shoulder, "Kyungsoo probably already told you. I have immunity. I don't even know why, but I'm not going to die. So don't worry."

Jongin was supposed to be scared since he was a human. Sehun was supposed to be collected and cocky, given that he was a formidable vampire. But the situation took a funny turn and Jongin literally held Sehun's hand as he patiently gave Sehun a step-by-step guide on how to drink his blood. They became friends after that, and soon Sehun found out Jongin was the same age as him. They shared a lot in common, from their video game preferences to their passion in dancing and their uselessness when it came to cooking.

One month after they started hanging out, Jongin came up with a deal.

"You can feed on me whenever you want," Jongin said as they were waiting for the game to load. "Consider it your exclusive benefit."

"What," Sehun blinked. Then, "No."

Jongin furrowed a brow. "Why? Is my blood not good enough?"

It was the opposite. Jongin's blood tasted so wonderful that Sehun found himself marking their meet-ups on his calendar with little stars. It was like looking forward to your cheat day during a painful diet. And the fact that Sehun wanted more was what kept him awake at night. Jongin was not his food, Jongin was a good friend, and he didn't want to hurt Jongin or take advantage of his kindness.

"It's not taking advantage if I'm the one who offers," Jongin explained. "Besides, you're an ethical vampire, so by letting you feed on me I feel like I'm contributing to a good cause."

One year into their deal, Sehun'd gone further than just feeding. One moment he was sucking on Jongin's neck, and the next he had Jongin pinned against the door of his dorm room, their clothes on the floor and their mouths met in a hurry. The panic in Sehun was replaced with a burning desire when Jongin started rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back before he sank to his knees and took Sehun in his plush lips.

It was good, insanely good, so they kept going. No question asked, and before they knew it, three years have passed by in a flash of light.

\---

"I told you, it's not a heartbreak."

"Sure," Chanyeol says. "What did that poor straw even do to you?"

Sehun looks down at his drink and pokes at the straw, which is tattered beyond recognition. "There's no heartbreak," he repeats, crossing his arm in an attempt to look intimidating so Chanyeol'd stop bothering him with his annoying knowing glance and smug grin. "There's nothing. We're friends. Friends. Good. Good friends. He's coming over tomorrow to feed me."

"That sounds wrong," Chanyeol comments. "You're not a baby vampire anymore. As your sire, I expect you to be capable of finding your own food by now."

"First, I never asked you to be my sire. You forced your fangs on me." Sehun points at Chanyeol accusingly. "Second, I am perfectly capable of finding my food. Or a partner. Or a relationship. If I don't do it, it's not because I can't. It's because I don't want to."

"What does food have to do with a partner or a relationship?" Chanyeol asks. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

Sehun is not a jealous person. More importantly, he has no reason to be jealous, none at all, regardless of what Chanyeol will say about the way Sehun has a different glow to his face when he sees Jongin or how Jongin suddenly breaks into a fit of laughter during their group outing because of an inside joke between him and Sehun.

If someone else can make Jongin happy, then what Sehun should do is support Jongin in this regard.

"We're friends," Sehun insists.

"Yeah, 90% of romantic K-dramas start with that." Chanyeol smirks. " _No, we are not in love. We are just friends_."

"I understand why no one wants to be your fledgling," Sehun says. "You're entering your 30s and you still watch super cheesy cliché dramas."

"I watch what I like," Chanyeol raises an eyebrow. "The only thing I don't watch is someone I like walking away from me into the arms of some stranger."

Sehun deliberately steps on Chanyeol's foot when his words finally sink in.

\---

It's easy to find a replacement. Sehun is young, handsome and talented. All he has to do is _look_ at them, and by the end of the night, he would successfully score a meeting in the nude.

In reality, it takes more efforts than usual to bring Yixing home. Sehun has to start a conversation when the message doesn't get across even after Sehun intentionally catches Yixing's eyes every time the Chinese producer looks up from his glass of wine. Sehun tries not to think about the possibility that his flirting skills have gone rusty. Sure, he hasn't been trying to woo someone into bed since his deal with Jongin took itself to another level, but it hasn't been _that_ long to the extent no one seems to get his hint anymore? He's not out of practice. With Yixing, it's probably a problem of language barrier.

But it doesn't matter when Yixing pushes him onto the mattress and starts working him open with his slender artist fingers. Yixing is gorgeous, he has a wicked mouth that leaves sinful trail down Sehun's hole and a nice cock that makes Sehun's balls pull tight as orgasm slams through him. Yixing fucks like music, with rhythms and moves. Sehun presses up into him, feeling strangely emotionless when Yixing picks up his pace to chase after his own release. He should be drowned in the bliss-inducing ectasy, with legs trembling and nails digging crescents into golden skin as a breathless cry leaves his tight, tight throat—

"Sehun?" A voice whispers into his ear and Sehun pulls back, looking at Yixing, his pale chest heaving and glistening with sweat. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Sehun says.

"You seem...quiet," Yixing says. The grip on Sehun's waist loosens. Sehun bites back an apology. "It's good," he plants a sloppy kiss at the corner of Yixing's mouth, "please keep going."

A skeptical frown pulls on Yixing's lips, but it immediately disappears as Sehun arches his hip up to accompany Yixing's thrusts. Yixing climaxes soon after, collapsing against Sehun and Sehun reluctantly holds him until he calms down from the euphoria.

Yixing leaves as soon as he gains back his breath, and the smile he offers Sehun when Sehun tells him he has a good time is way too forced, but Sehun doesn't know why he should care about that. He brews a fresh pot of coffee, then goes to take a shower.

When he returns to his living room, Jongin is sitting on the couch, scrolling through something on his phone. Upon the sound of Sehun's footsteps, he looks up and gives Sehun his heartfelt eye smile.

"I take that you have a good _lunch_ ," Jongin says pointedly towards a pair of black socks by the door.

"Hmmm." Sehun makes a mental note to throw it into the trash bin later since he has no intention to see Yixing again.

"Hungry?" Jongin asks, and Sehun takes a few steps forward until he's standing directly in front of Jongin, who is wearing a baggy shirt today, his prominent collarbones peaked out through the unbuttoned collar buttons. Along with the urge to feed is the constant need for touch that only arises when he's with Jongin but Sehun never questions it before and he's not going to do it now. He crouches down so he is eye level with Jongin and waits.

Jongin opens his arms and Sehun slides into his embrace without a word. He buries his face in the crook of Jongin's neck, his mind latching onto a distant memory of waking up in the morning beside Jongin, watching him slowly blink his sleep away and his entire face brightens with recognition as he realizes Sehun is with him.

"You're such a baby," Jongin croons. Sehun sinks his teeth in harder, a burst of hot blood on his tongue, and listens to the erratic beating of Jongin's pulse. Jongin's nails curl around his waist as Sehun drinks down mouthfuls of glorious crimson. The liquid flows into his parched mouth, he can feel Jongin's life seaping into his veins, warming the coldest spots of skin. His mind is shutting down, Jongin's scent is all over him and he doesn't have to think anymore.

Sehun doesn't let go after he finishes feeding. He pillows his head against Jongin's neck and lets Jongin wipe down the red rivulet from his teeth with a napkin. They choose a movie on Netflix to watch as Jongin waits for his fried chicken order to arrive. Temptation sits heavy in Sehun's gut, so he drapes an arm around Jongin's shoulder and feels relieved when Jongin leans into the touch. Their friendship is the same despite the lack of intimate intercourse, and Sehun is glad, like he should be.

"By the way," Sehun hopes he sounds casual. It's ridiculous to act nervous about something that isn't his business. "How is it going?"

"My boss is still a bitch as usual," Jongin scoffs. "She scolds me for dyeing my hair brown. Saying that I'm a bad role model for the students."

Sehun cards his fingers through soft brown strands and relaxes as Jongin's indignant expression softens. "You teach high school, not elementary school. Your students have been coloring their hair since grade 10."

"Exactly," Jongin groans, exasperated. "I think she just hates me."

"But I'm not asking about that," Sehun blurts out, and Jongin tilts his head to the side, seemingly at a loss. "I mean, your boyfriend. You know, your relationship?"

Jongin tenses. He turns around to avoid Sehun's gaze. "Uhm," he says awkwardly. "Not my boyfriend. We're not there — yet."

"Why?"

"Do we really need to talk about this?" Jongin murmurs, playing absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt. "I'm still trying to figure it out."

"How are you going to figure it out?" Sehun continues. Love seems complicated, and he's always wondered how people know. How it would be different from their casual, no strings attached sex. "Is it different? Being with someone you have romantic feelings for?"

"I guess," Jongin mutters under his breath. "I don't _know_ , Sehun. We went on a few dates, it was a good start, now can we go back to the movie?"

"Dates," Sehun parrots. Jongin sends him a weird look. Sehun's about to ask Jongin whether the sex feels different, but before he can open his mouth, the bell rings and Jongin springs to the door with a speed that is unwarranted for someone who just has their blood sucked out of them.

"That to-be-boyfriend of yours," Sehun says as he walks into the kitchen to get the mayonnaise for Jongin. "Just want to make sure he's not an anime character like Sesshomaru, your self-proclaimed first love?"

Jongin rolls his eyes. "Shut up," he scowls, "I love Sesshomaru-sama", and Sehun laughs.

\---

When Baekhyun knocks on Sehun's door, he doesn't expect to find Sehun reading a book on the sofa with Seulgi curling into his lap, sleeping soundly.

"What the fuck," Baekhyun says, "are you doing with _my_ model?"

"We went on a date," Sehun flips a page. "Italian restaurant, a cozy bakery for dessert, then a walk in the park near the hotel."

Baekhyun sits down slowly on a cushion chair. "You're not banging her?"

"It'd ruin the meaning of a date, don't you think?" Sehun counters, and Baekhyun can't relate, because it's his ultimate goal for any date. But Sehun's been acting strange lately, staring off into the distance more often than before and the other day, Baekhyun had to borrow his laptop to search for a sketch, and when he opened Safari, he was met with eleven tabs of BuzzFeed love quizzes.

He has never thought of Sehun as a romantic. Sehun always talks about how he's too young and fabulous to settle down, and after Chanyeol sired him, he becomes even more skeptical towards the idea of commitment. The burden of immortality is not captivating like what people believe; Baekhyun had fallen victim to it once, the eternal life, and had watched his loved ones die, mourned them, and clung onto distant memories as their descendants forgot and moved on. He'd almost given up, ready to crumble into ashes to escape the tiring cycle of life when he met Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo let Baekhyun sire him in a heartbeat, from which Baekhyun found his motivation to live again.

For vampires to not wither away in the trap of eternity boredom, they need someone by their side, someone to be their emotional link to the outside world. Baekhyun told Sehun that, but has never pushed him to do anything, for love is a matter of the heart and Sehun doesn't seem interested. But the scene in front of him at the moment is picture perfect. Seulgi looks comfortable, and Baekhyun wonders what Sehun said, or did, that made her open up to him. They look adorable together, Baekhyun has to admit, except he's sure that Sehun doesn't like girls.

"Whatever you're planning to do, don't hurt her," Baekhyun says. "She's not just my model, she's like a sister to me. And don't feed from her. If you need human blood, I can spare you—"

"It was only a date, hyung," Sehun says. "We don't plan to do it again any time soon. Probably never." He sets down his book and blinks up at Baekhyun. "I'm not going to feed on her. She's not Jongin."

"Oh." Baekhyun levels him with a long, calculated look. "Oh."

"What?" Sehun asks, but Baekhyun already retreats. Sehun can hear him dialing Kyungsoo's number before he shuts the door.

\---

There's a mark on Jongin's neck and it is not made by Sehun.

When Sehun notices it, his chest tightens and he blames it on the hunger. It's been two weeks since he saw Jongin; the business trip took longer than expected and Sehun spent a good thirty minutes every morning in his hotel room staring blankly at the processed blood vials before throwing them into his coffee and called it breakfast. Baekhyun tried to drag him out to an underground club once, hinting about _fresh market_ but Sehun declined; he's not comfortable with draining a stranger's blood. Jongin usually teases him for being so high maintenance, and Sehun doesn't say anything back because Jongin is right.

Sehun knows he should be happy for Jongin — that someone is making Jongin smile, making Jongin feel like he matters. Jongin always matters to Sehun, but maybe it's a different kind of matter that Jongin is searching for. Jongin doesn't tell him anything about the guy; he doesn't act any different than he did before this relationship ordeal happened. He shows up at Sehun's on time, still wears his shoes like slippers, stays to eat with Sehun and buys Sehun bubble tea once a week. He doesn't push Sehun away when Sehun clings to him afterwards, relishing in the wonderful warmth of Jongin. It feels like nothing has changed.

But today Sehun sees a mark, and his limbs go very, very cold. He tears a hole in Jongin's shirt, much to Jongin's surprise, and noses up his neck, deliberately leaving a cold trail behind. He can feel Jongin tremble quietly under him. The blood once flows through Jongin's veins leaks into his mouth, a distinct flavour only known to Sehun. He drinks and drinks, twisting his fingers in Jongin's disheveled hair and angling his neck better. Jongin clutches at the back of his neck, a soft whimper leaving him and Sehun actually feels aroused, more than Yixing or any nameless one night stand could ever make him — he wants to trail his hand down Jongin's taut stomach and presses his lips to Jongin's, like they used to do, before some guy came into the picture.

Scarlet drops drizzle down Sehun's throat like so much rain down a window pane. "Slow down, Sehunnie," Jongin shuts his eyes as a wave of heady sensation washes over him. When Sehun pulls away, Jongin cracks one eye open and sees Sehun staring at him, blood — Jongin's blood — smearing around his chin. There's an icy cold hand on the puncture wounds on his neck, and Jongin sighs.

"You shouldn't skip meals," he croaks out before exhaustion takes over him. "I'm worried."

Sehun squishes up against him like a cat, mouthing below Jongin's shoulder blade. Jongin isn't prepared when Sehun's fangs descend again, an instantaneous pain shoots through him and he writhes. "Sehun, what—"

"Sorry," Sehun says, not sounding sorry at all. "You smell too good."

Despite the throbbing that isn't likely to go away any time soon, Jongin laughs and wraps an arm around Sehun's small waist.

\---

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Junmyeon elegantly pours himself a mug of blood. "You saw a love mark on Jongin, and decided to leave another mark. A bigger mark. For—" He stops, looking around the lounge. Baekhyun shrugs. Kyungsoo is busy folding clothes and separating them by colors. Chanyeol is talking to his dog, or at least he's trying to because Toben makes no move to acknowledge Chanyeol's existence. "Okay. For what?"

"You don't know if it's a love mark," Sehun grunts. "It could be a mosquito bite."

"That doesn't answer my question," Junmyeon says.

"Pathetic looks good on you," Baekhyun chirps. "It goes well with your jeans."

"Baekhyun," Junmyeon warns.

"I'm just saying," Baekhyun shrugs. "He has three years. _They_ have three years. So many things could have happened."

"So many things _have_ happened," Sehun rubs at his chin scruff, and frowns. How many days have passed since he last shaved? He used to have Jongin remind him about that. On some days when he feels generous enough, he'd carry a sleepy Sehun to the bathroom and help him shave. Sehun remembers being pressed against the basin, Jongin standing between his legs and tenderly moving the razor around his chin. Between them, it's always been more than just blood. Or food. Whatever sounds more pleasant.

But Sehun doesn't like dealing with complicated things, like feelings or worse, relationships. It's too much unnecessary work. And the thrill dies down once you get over the honeymoon phase and begin to see imperfections in each other. Expectations are always higher than what reality can offer, thus the result is often dreadful. Sehun is not interested in playing the romance game and putting his heart at stake. He enjoys the freedom of casual flings. He has no intention to invest emotionally in anyone. 

The injured silence from him is enough to tell, because Baekhyun leans across the coffee table to pat Sehun's cheek. "You know we support you. Immortality is not a problem. There will be a way. In case that's why you've been hesitant."

"You guys support me but I’m hesitant? What does it even mean?"

“In your pursuit of a happily ever after with your food, Sehun. We know you’re not manipulating him to—"

"Hyung," Sehun interrupts before Junmyeon can ramble on. "I don't know what Baekhyun and Chanyeol told you, but there's nothing between us. Also, don't call him food."

"Not yet," Junmyeon nods. "But we will be supporting you."

"I agree," Kyungsoo eagerly joins in. "Just because you have permanent resting bitch face syndrome and a heart made of steel doesn't mean you are incapable of loving someone dearly."

"Anyways," Chanyeol says. "Did Jongin say anything about your mark?"

"No." He's sure Jongin knew; he'd asked to use Sehun's shower since he had to go see his sister after his meet-up with Sehun, and Jongin has a habit of admiring himself in the mirror for ten minutes straight after showering, so there was no way he didn't discover the fresh mark Sehun left on him. But he didn't say, or show, anything.

It's not important whether Jongin saw the mark. He's not the one Sehun wants to see the mark, after all.

\---

Jongin doesn't come to their next meet-up.

He calls and explains to Sehun about an emergency at work that requires pulling an overnight at school. He sends over two vials full of blood, telling Sehun to eat properly. Sehun says yes just to shut Jongin up; then in the darkness of his apartment, he imagines Jongin holding someone else in his arms as his cock slides into him like a sheath, and Jongin would let his hands roam over his body, knowing exactly where to touch, where to kiss, where to get the guy writhing and begging for him.

Sehun knows because he's been on the receiving end of it for three years. Has let Jongin read him like an open book, has learnt what button he should push when Jongin puts up his defensive iron walls and refuses to talk. He knows what Jongin is like when he's showing affection. When he's joking around, when he's getting serious, or when he's emotional.

He doesn't know what Jongin is like when he's in love, and now, someone else already gets to that.

In the end, Sehun doesn't take Jongin's blood. He orders a bowl of kimchi fried rice, which becomes his only intake of food for the next two days.

\---

Chanyeol stops in his track at the sight that greets him.

When Kyungsoo texts him about how frequently Sehun's been spotted at the marketplace — their term for these underground dens that sell humans for blood — in the last few weeks, Chanyeol takes Junmyeon's advice and comes over to give Sehun the necessary _Choose your food wisely_ lecture, because those girls and boys from the market could be a wild bunch, and sometimes Sehun is too naive for his own good.

He doesn't expect to find a boy laid out in the guest bedroom, his tanned body tangled in sheets, his throat shredded in half and blood seeps out from the wounds. Sehun places a bloody hand on his chest to hold him down, then sinks his fangs into bare thighs and draws back, eyes hazy as the boy screams in terror and there's so much blood, draining out of him in its garish red, splattering onto the bed.

Sehun isn't feeding. He is just _killing_. There's a fire in his eyes that Chanyeol has never seen before, fierce and ruthless, glinting with satisfaction derived from his victim's desperate scream. Sehun's skin is as pale as the full moon, lips blue and long nails, scratching along the boy's skin and tearing the flesh apart.

Nausea tugs at Chanyeol's gut. He swallows. "Sehun," he steps forward, carefully. "Sehun, stop."

Chanyeol has never wanted to do this — never thought of this, but when Sehun ignores his call and crimson stained fangs sink into broken arms, blood, blood, blood everywhere, laying in pools around the boy, soaking into cream silk sheets, Chanyeol's eyes flash red as he takes control of Sehun's mind.

" _Stop_." His voice rings inside Sehun's head. "I order you to stop right now."

Sehun growls but is unable to resist. A sire's command must be obeyed, and as much as Sehun dislikes it, Chanyeol is still his sire and a powerful vampire with his own legacy.

He climbs off the bed and moves soundlessly towards Chanyeol, hissing even when Chanyeol gently caresses his back and whispers sweet nothing into his ear. Sehun looks thinner, almost translucent in the shadows. Dark crimson cascades across his neck, his arms, with a discreet metallic scent that makes Chanyeol scrunch his nose.

"Let's get you cleaned up first, okay?" He murmurs and takes Sehun's hand in his, guiding him out of the door in the direction of the bathroom.

When he hears the sound of water rushing from a faucet, he takes out his phone and calls Junmyeon to send someone over to tend to the boy's wounds and clean up the mess in Sehun's room.

Chanyeol cuddles Sehun to sleep that night. He reeks of blood, and Chanyeol wonders how long it would take Junmyeon's people to scrub out the stains on the bed and the white marble floor with bleach.

Sehun doesn't say anything about what Chanyeol'd witnessed when he wakes up. He stretches like a cat, eyes flitting across Chanyeol's face, then goes make toast and eggs for both of them.

Chanyeol looks at the viscous congealed red spreading over the bathroom door knob on his way to the kitchen, and decides to leave Sehun be.

\---

"You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"

Sehun scoffs at Jongin's question. "No," he replies. It's weird, but Jongin's blood tastes intoxicatingly sweet. Like strawberry candy, or bubble gum. Sehun isn't sure how such thing is possible, maybe he was conditioned to think that way. "Do I look like I'm capable of doing stupid things?"

Jongin gives him a quizzical look. "You have new curtains," he points out. "New wall color. New tiles. New bed. Is there any particular reason that you spent your precious weekend renovating your guest bedroom?"

"It's an experiment," Sehun says, licking at the punctures on Jongin's wrist. "For work."

"You're a music producer," Jongin lifts an inquisitive brow, but doesn't move from Sehun's inhumanely tight grip. He looks like a pampered kitten, his head laid on Sehun's broad chest, half-closed eyes staring lazily at Sehun, and Sehun is left with a prickling sensation deep in his chest. Since when did he start to care so much?

\---

The party is Kyungsoo's idea.

"I know a guy," Kyungsoo says during their Tuesday vampire lunch hosted by Junmyeon. "He's throwing a party at his new club in Hongdae. Invitation only. But he says I can bring friends."

"You know a lot of guys," Chanyeol hums. "Do you happen to know any single guy with bronze skin and clear honey eyes? I'm asking for a friend."

Sehun glares at him. "Do you ever consider that all your friend wants in life is you minding your own business?"

"Stop bickering, kids," Junmyeon points a chopstick threateningly at them. "But Kyungsoo, it's rare to see you getting excited about a party." He mulls his words over. "Or any kind of social gathering, really."

"He's excited?" Chanyeol asks.

"Yes, Chanyeol, this is my most enthusiastic face," Kyungsoo deadpans. "And Junmyeon hyung, I don't care about the party. I only care about those shapeshifters from Beijing who are friends with the guy I know. I'm doing a research on supernatural creatures and books about shapeshifters are extremely rare. They definitely are involved with some secret government projects and I'm going to find out what it is."

"Good, here's the plan." Baekhyun claps his hands. "We dress up, have fun, and do not give a fuck about whatever academic shit Kyungsoo is doing."

"That's an awesome plan, Baek!" Chanyeol cheers.

And it's how Sehun finds himself in Kyungsoo's friend's club on Friday night, watching the alcohol keep on flowing in like it's on IV drip. Six whiskeys later and Junmyeon already moves to the dance floor, hands in the air, swaying his hip passionately. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are next to the DJs, jiving, twisting, turning to rave music, their hyped moves a throwback to Sehun's grandparents' era. Kyungsoo, Sehun has no idea where Kyungsoo is. He's made his point that he doesn't come here for partying.

Sehun drains another shot from the table. He isn't sure how many he has taken. Five? Ten? Thirteen? The house around him sways like a fun house mirror illusion. He feels his eyes swiveling towards the back of his head as he scrambles to the edge of the couch, his jaw _aches_ from the amount of alcohol he'd poured down his throat. The disco ball light twirls and launches colorful shades into the darkness, and when it illuminates a corner near the fire exit, Sehun spots Jongin.

Jongin is leaning against the wall with his back to Sehun, chatting up a tall, young, silver-haired guy. Sehun can't hear what they're talking about, they're standing too far away for Sehun's inebriated senses, but he can detect the sugar and alcohol levels in Jongin's blood. Jongin isn't thoroughly wasted, just tipsy, but Sehun is, so he ignores the bitter bile swirling in his gut, the incoherently-formed regrets swimming through his head and makes his way to Jongin. The flat floor seems like a mountain to be climbed; Sehun staggers like a tramp, weaving through people and by the time he reaches Jongin, his skin is sticky with sweat that isn't his.

"Jongin," he blurts out, closing his fingers around Jongin's wrist. Jongin jerks away from his touch, which Sehun doesn't take nicely, a dull fire spreading through his nerves, but then Jongin turns around sharply and he exhales when he sees Sehun.

"You scare me, Sehunnie," Jongin smiles, sounding not mad. Sehun wants to melt like ice cream on a hot porcelain bowl, if it makes sense. The alcohol is taking effect, Sehun presses his face into Jongin's shoulder from behind and starts nibbling on the exposed skin.

"Hey, Sehun, can you wait a little bit?" Jongin whispers. "I'm talking to—"

"Who the hell are you?"

Sehun bristles at that, eyes flashing a blazen red as a low, dangerous growl escapes his lips. His fangs are itching for blood with an urge to kill, and Sehun doesn't know how Jongin can sense it, but he pushes Sehun back behind him and says, "Yukhei, I have to go."

Yukhei's eyebrows twitch in disbelief, like he doesn't expect Jongin to dismiss him so easily for a random guy that literally shows up out of nowhere, but Jongin's tone doesn't leave any room for counterargument.

"Keep it in, Sehun," Jongin laces their fingers together, rubbing Sehun's palm with his thumb. "I'm going to find somewhere — you can't go all vampire here."

Sehun topples down the steps onto an empty corridor away from the loud music, Jongin's hold keeps him steady on his feet. Jongin drags him through a wooden door with _Employees Only_ engraved on it, and Sehun laughs for the nostalgia, his mind shuffling back to the first time they met.

Jongin pushes him down onto a sturdy desk. They're in the middle of a storage room, Sehun thinks. A warm hand brushes against his cheekbones, Sehun lets himself burn through the touch he's been longing for.

"You have been starving yourself," Jongin says, and it's not a question. There's concern, sadness, and...disappointment? Sehun panics, the insatiable fire that stirs inside him earlier has become a glove of ice encasing his heart, leaving him numb and empty. "Please don't leave," he pleads. "Please don't leave me."

"I'd never leave you," Jongin affirms, stepping closer to Sehun. He buries his face into Sehun's hair. "Jesus Christ, how long have you gone without human blood?"

Two weeks? Jongin's been away on a national conference about liberal arts curriculum development and Sehun has no desire to feed. He brings home strangers from the market — the high quality ones that pass Chanyeol's background check, because Chanyeol refuses to leave him unsupervised after that incident — bites them, lets them bleed until they pass out, collects the blood but never touches it. He moves the vials into his personal safe in his bedroom so Chanyeol doesn't find out.

"Come here," Jongin commands, wincing at Sehun's ragged breath and lets Sehun rip off his shirt mercilessly. Hungry fangs come to contact with his flesh in a piercing bite, Jongin can feel his blood leaving the artery in jets, in time with the frantic beating of his heart and briefly wonders if it's cooler or warmer than his own skin when it slides down Sehun's parched throat, alleviating his thirst.

At some point he gives in to the familiar pain, his pulse weakens and Sehun slides a hand underneath his shirt, slim fingers splaying across the curve of his waist.

As always, Jongin lets him.

\---

Jongin feels lethargic, there's an overwhelming need to crash his bed and sleep for twelve hours straight. Still, he manages to sit up from Sehun's lap and looks around for something to wear. His shirt had been shredded to pieces and he can't just walk out of the club half naked.

"I'm sorry," Sehun suddenly says. His eyes are wide and very much awake when Jongin looks at him, his speech no longer slurs and Jongin is astounded. He didn't know his blood could cure a hangover. "I'm sorry. Fuck, Jongin, I'm so sorry," Sehun repeats. "I'm sorry."

Jongin doesn't like how Sehun sounds. So worn out, so vulnerable. "Why are you sorry?"

"I shouldn't touch you. We aren't—" His voice breaks off, choked. We aren't exclusive, you have someone else. We aren't in a relationship, but it's electrifying when I touch you and I want to keep doing it forever. We aren't anything, yet, but I want forever with you. We aren't, it's too late for us.

Jongin reaches out for Sehun's bony wrist and squeezes it lightly. "It's okay," he says. "We're over."

Sehun feels hope in Jongin's soft shrug. There's no trace of playfulness on Jongin's face, Sehun knows he's telling the truth. "Over?"

"Yeah, things didn't work out," Jongin's eyes are searching. "Things that he wanted, I couldn't give him. It would be cruel to lead him on." He exhales quickly. "Because I'm sort of experienced in that field — chasing after someone who doesn't want you the way you want them. It's not easy."

Jongin doesn't sound heartbroken. His words are carefully calculated, so is his expression. Silence stretches between them, caging Sehun in a plethora of feelings. Suffocating. Nervous. Hopeful. Desperate. Jongin is sitting beside him, in all his glowing skin and wonderful warmth glory, a drop of blood dripping from the puncture mark and Sehun has to try catching a breath, watching a beam of light flicker in Jongin's beautiful eyes. Jongin likes Sehun breathless and speechless, knowing that he's the reason behind.

Sehun's mind goes into overdrive, it's been so freaking long, and he _needs_. He caves in first, leaning in closer until their foreheads touch.

And then he crashes his lips to Jongin's, nearly knocking all the air from Jongin's lungs and it takes Jongin a moment to regain his composure and kiss back, his mouth open, tongue eagerly pushing past Sehun's clenched teeth to delve deeper. His nails scratch against Sehun's soft skin as he grips Sehun's head. Jongin is soft and hot and breathy, and for a split second Sehun worries if Jongin can taste his own blood on Sehun's tongue, which may be gross, but Jongin presses in further, more determined, seeking to chase down that elusive electric lightning that runs through both of them.

Feeling bold, Sehun shrugs out of his shirt and starts fumbling with Jongin's pants, only to be stopped by Jongin's intense gaze. "Sehun, what do _you_ want?"

Ah, _the_ question. Sehun can write a poem right here, right now, but there's raw uncertainty in the way Jongin glances up at him, waiting for his answer, and Sehun never wants Jongin to get the wrong idea again, not after what happened, not after sleepless nights staring at Jongin's empty side of his bed and venturing about _what-ifs_ and _maybes_.

"I did it with other people," Sehun begins, words stumbling out of him in a rush. "When you told me you wanted to stop, I — I brought people home. But." He traces the line of Jongin's jaw. "They are not you, and it felt wrong. And I left a mark on you because I saw his mark on you. I wanted to tell him that, that I—"

Jongin is quiet, then, very softly, "Tell him what?"

And maybe eternity is not possible for Jongin, maybe Sehun is not good at doing relationship, and the road ahead would not be all roses, but Jongin is worth all of it. He cups Jongin's face in his hands, and takes a breath.

"That I wish it were me instead," he says. "That there's nothing better than you. I don't want us to be a deal anymore."

Sehun's heart jams against his ribs as he feels Jongin's breath against his lips. "I didn't want us to be just a deal since the beginning," Jongin confesses. "I asked you to stop because I didn't think you — you would want the same. You always said you hate relationship. It's a, _'human thing'._ "

Sehun was human for nineteen years. But whatever creature he is, he doesn't mind rewriting history if it means he can keep Jongin by his side. "Well," he pulls Jongin against him and kisses up his jawline. "I guess your humanness is really rubbing off on me."

Jongin laughs and kisses Sehun again. The kiss is fierce, pulling and pushing and consuming, and Sehun feels like he was brought back from the realm between life and death, away from the abyss that's going to swallow him whole. He'd experienced this once, on the day Chanyeol sired him, the huge difference is that it was physical for the Embrace and for this — the bond he has with Jongin — it's both physical and emotional. Jongin's kiss tastes like marshmallow, the one that makes Sehun crumble like a S'more heated up over a bonfire, bringing life back into Sehun's body.

"Took you long enough," Jongin murmurs, and Sehun smiles, pulling Jongin's lower lip into his mouth. "Now," he lowers his voice. "Tell me what _you_ want."

When Jongin comes, his brown hair’s matted in the sweat of his neck, his chest swelling obscenely with each shattered breath. His soul, hidden in a shell made of diamond skin and lovely dimple smiles and fuzzy bear sweaters, resonates with Sehun's and it's absolutely the most wonderful moment in the entire universe.

\---

At 7 AM on Saturday, Sehun wakes up.

He blinks at the flashing green numbers on his alarm, Jongin cocooning himself in the thick comforter, and wonders if his mind is stuck in a time-warp. His gaze drifts down to where Jongin's ass is supposed to be under the wool duvet, remembering the slick, velvet hot sensation that embraced them last night, the hard conversation they finally managed to pull off, the quivering touch of lips that suffused their cheeks with color.

_If everything was a dream_ , Sehun thinks as he presses his nose against Jongin's back, sniffing him like a wine connoisseur enjoying a fine vintage, _he'd rather be swept under the rug._

Jongin stirs and rolls over, droopy eyes flicker up to Sehun and he smirks playfully. "Is this the part where I told you I wanted to stop?"

"No," Sehun says, shutting him up with a hungry kiss, hands venturing down, rubbing along the deep ridges of Jongin's abs, and every touch feels so right, feels just like home, sending chills up and down his spine. "New episode, this is the part where I told you no. You aren't allowed to stop."

"Mmm, greedy," Jongin mumbles sleepily. "You may want to concentrate on lower area. I've been told that it's really sexy down there."

"Yeah?" Sehun slides a hand into Jongin's boxers and grabs his ass, moving one finger through the crack, just gliding there, teasing. Jongin dips his head and lets out a gasp at the sudden touch. The blue veins in his neck are bulging as his lips are set into a hard line, a light sheen of sweat coated his face. "Yeah," he says shakily.

Sehun can't help but grin. "Then I'll tell you a secret," he grazes his teeth against Jongin's ear lobe. "I'm much, much better with my mouth."

"I know that," Jongin huffs out deliriously. "Tell me something new."

Sehun contemplates for a moment, head filled up with classic sonnets and villanelles, but eventually settles with the simplest combination of words.

"I love you."

Jongin's face breaks into a bright smile, and with that smile comes the beginning of a love story.

Sehun is glad. This time, he truly is.

**Author's Note:**

> sehun's teaser pics came out and vampire sehun has been the only thing in my mind since then.
> 
> this was supposed to be angst since i haven't written angst in such a long, long time and apparently i can't do it, but i hope you enjoy! 
> 
> [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/forsekais)


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